Blasphemy

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Driving into work this morning I am switching back and forth on the radio stations and I listen to sports radio some of the time. Well this morning the "Philly Sports talk show" had Keith Jones on (who works part time for the station, as well as doing the national things for NBC) Well they were discussing Jagr and how he is probably going to test free agency and the Flyers wont be pursuing him too hard. The thing is Jones said part of the reason is the Flyers are going to take a hard run at Zach. And that Zach will look at playing with Giroux as a big bonus.

god help me. I dont know what will be worse if he doesnt resign here will it be signing with the Rags or the Cryers.

I will be disturbed heavily if I have to watch Comcast (living in this market) and see him wearig the Flyers colors!!! I pray Lou gets this done!!!

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Eh, people worry too much. Every NHL city has sports radio guys right now saying that their team is going hard after Zach and suter, no matter how true it is.

If he goes to a rival, fine. It would show that he was all about the cash and not about being a winner. Worked out great for Gomez and holik. It'll be weird for a few games, and then we just boo the hell out of him.

If he goes to a rival, fine. It would show that he was all about the cash and not about being a winner. Worked out great for Gomez and holik. It'll be weird for a few games, and then we just boo the hell out of him.

I don't want to do that though. I feel a connection to Zach (I know, I've never met the guy and live in a different world, but still) that I never felt for Gomex or Holik, funny though Holik was. Zach's one of my favorite players in the league, and I'd like to believe if he leaves, it'll be like when Mad Dog left, and I can root for him unless he's playing against us. IF he goes to the Flyers, some of the positive assumptions I've made about him the past few years go away. The hard part is, some of them won't. I'll always love his toughness, enthusiam, and effort, no matter how I feel about his loyalty. I don't want to hate someone I appreciate that much, and I think I will hate him on the Flyers, in a way I won't if he's in Minnesota or Detroit. If he does go to Philly, it'll feel more like Langs, a player I once loved, and now dislike, but at least with Langs there was a process. With Zach, he'll go from hero to enemy in a day.

Of course, all this is meaningless, because I really do believe taht Zach appreciates the organization enough not to jump ship for a rival.

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They'd be absolutely stupid to do this. They were top 5 in goal scoring, so obviously they don't need offense. Actually, I'd be pretty worried about the defense if I were a Flyers fan. Carle is a good offensive dman, but he's shaky in his own zone. Rumors are that Suter is staying in the West, so that's looking unlikely. And of course Pronger is out indefinitely.

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I don't want to do that though. I feel a connection to Zach (I know, I've never met the guy and live in a different world, but still) that I never felt for Gomex or Holik, funny though Holik was. Zach's one of my favorite players in the league, and I'd like to believe if he leaves, it'll be like when Mad Dog left, and I can root for him unless he's playing against us. IF he goes to the Flyers, some of the positive assumptions I've made about him the past few years go away. The hard part is, some of them won't. I'll always love his toughness, enthusiam, and effort, no matter how I feel about his loyalty. I don't want to hate someone I appreciate that much, and I think I will hate him on the Flyers, in a way I won't if he's in Minnesota or Detroit. If he does go to Philly, it'll feel more like Langs, a player I once loved, and now dislike, but at least with Langs there was a process. With Zach, he'll go from hero to enemy in a day.

Of course, all this is meaningless, because I really do believe taht Zach appreciates the organization enough not to jump ship for a rival.

That last sentence is my belief, too. I think he will listen to all offers and that a rival would really really have to blow everyone else out of the water to get him. For example, if he could get the same offer from Philly, Jersey, and Detroit, I think it'd be 50/50 between Jersey and Detroit.

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They'd be absolutely stupid to do this. They were top 5 in goal scoring, so obviously they don't need offense. Actually, I'd be pretty worried about the defense if I were a Flyers fan. Carle is a good offensive dman, but he's shaky in his own zone. Rumors are that Suter is staying in the West, so that's looking unlikely. And of course Pronger is out indefinitely.

Pretty much this. The flyers have a good goalie and a possibly great goalie, but they desperately need defensemen, not more forwards. If they can upgrade their defense they will be a much better team. Upgrading their offense pretty much leaves them where they are, which isn't good enough to seriously compete for a big shiny trophy at the end of the season.

My understanding (two weeks old now) is Pronger has recovered to the point where he can drive himself short distances and doesn't need the wife or someone else to drive him around. He's not close to playing ready but is improving. i still think it's close to 5% he returns to the NHL as a player, at least this coming year. But a Pronger type player is what that team needs, not more forwards in my opinion.

I can see Boston also getting into the mix if they were to unload Thomas to a team needing to reach the cap floor (Islanders? BJ's?) and Lucic, whom the Bruins are down on. Remember the Bruins will also get a long-term exemption for Savard's contract again.

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I can see Boston also getting into the mix if they were to unload Thomas to a team needing to reach the cap floor (Islanders? BJ's?) and Lucic, whom the Bruins are down on. Remember the Bruins will also get a long-term exemption for Savard's contract again.

Thomas being unloaded after he said he is taking a year off would reek of cap circumvention. I don't know if Boston would even attempt it.

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While this statement is true, its not really 100%. Hartnell I think had 70% of his 40 goals on the PP, so it was not just giroux helping him, it was that the other team was down a person.

Great Stat or the fact that the better % of his goals where garbage goals (rebounds or just the fact that the other guys on his team were doubled covered so he is WIDE open). On top of he can barely stand on skates. I could go on and on but you can already see I can't stand hartnell and barely thinks he is a hockey player at this level. Ok I am done.

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Great Stat or the fact that the better % of his goals where garbage goals (rebounds or just the fact that the other guys on his team were doubled covered so he is WIDE open). On top of he can barely stand on skates. I could go on and on but you can already see I can't stand hartnell and barely thinks he is a hockey player at this level. Ok I am done.

fvck Hartnell, always complaining.. always things the world is after him... which it should be, for how much of a dirt he is

On topic, I don't try to guess what UFAs will do anymore. If Zach leaves, wherever he might be going, the Devils will go on. If he stays and the terms aren't silly, great. But I don't rule anything out...in every sport, guys sign with "rivals" all of the time, so if Zach ever were to go the Rangers or Flyers (even though he said "No" when asked about the Rangers), I'm not going to say "OMG, I can't believe he did that!"

Edited June 20, 2012 by Colorado Rockies 1976

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On topic, I don't try to guess what UFAs will do anymore. If Zach leaves, wherever he might be going, the Devils will go on. If he stays and the terms aren't silly, great. But I don't rule anything out...in every sport, guys sign with "rivals" all of the time, so if Zach every were to go the Rangers or Flyers (even though he said "No" when asked about the Rangers), I'm not going to say "OMG, I can't believe he did that!"

I won't be shocked if Zach leaves at all...but I would be shocked if he signed with the Rags. What would be the point of coming out and saying what he did, to only turn around and sign with them a few weeks later?!? Makes me think even more that he has the choices already narrowed down in his head. Likely Devils, Wings, Wild....

Let's hope he is wearing the Devils jersey call next fall...(summer I guess for camp!)

Re: Parise. Take for what it's worth but Ken Holland said straight to me when I asked him yesterday in Vegas about Parise: "don't worry. We're not doing that."

You're in Vegas? What else are you hearing out there?

I can believe it if that's what Holland actually said. I think they are prioritizing a run at Suter and then maybe looking at a guy like Semin for some scoring up front if the money and term is reasonable. They do have the idea of playing with Datsyuk that they can dangle in front of Semin. If not, then I wouldn't be totally shocked if they looked at the trade market. They have some prospects if they wanted to move them.

I don't think Holland would feel comfortable spending what Parise may ultimately get despite the possibility he could go to the division rival like the Wild. Defense is a clear and more pressing need for the Wings.

The funny thing is, sometimes the market for these top-end players (relative to who else is in the market) isn't what we think it's going to be. Kovalchuk last year is a perfect example...only two teams, with one clearly more interested than the other.

Who the hell knows, but it may come down to just the Wild and the Devils. At any rate, unless Zach just doesn't want to be a Devil or doesn't love living in NJ, I don't see that team that is so much more attractive as a winner than the Devils, especially with the league now being as year-to-year as it gets. Today's winner isn't too far from being tomorrow's loser these days.